Crisp and refreshing Chinese cabbage with a rich, aromatic sour fragrance.
Many people only eat the cabbage leaves and discard the stalks, which is a shame to waste. This time, we'll use just the cabbage stalks to make a dish that's just as delicious!
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
250 g (about 1/2 lb) napa cabbage stalks
Choose seasonal napa cabbage, preferably the winter variety known as "falls apart as soon as it hits the pot," as this type has crisp and tender stalks.
Seasonings
25 g (about 2 tablespoons) vinegar
5 g soy sauce
2 g salt
10 g (about 2 teaspoons) white sugar
a small amount of sesame oil
1 dried chili pepper
Scallions and garlic, cornstarch - each to taste
Dried chili peppers are a must for extra aroma, and the final addition of minced garlic is essential for enhancing the fragrance—do not skip it.
Instructions
Instructions
Preparation
Step 1: Slice the cabbage stems diagonally into pieces (Image 2). Cut the dried chili peppers into sections, and mince the scallions and garlic (Image 3).
*For better texture, slice the cabbage stems diagonally, and remove the seeds from the dried chili peppers.
Sauté the seasonings until fragrant.
In the wok, heat an appropriate amount of oil to about 70% hot (when it starts to shimmer), first add dried chili peppers and fry over high heat until they turn reddish-brown (Image 4), then immediately add chopped scallions and stir-fry until fragrant.
*Dried chili peppers will turn brown in just a few seconds when added to oil heated to about 70% of its smoking point, so work quickly and try not to let them burn black.
Stir-fry the cabbage over high heat until just tender.
Add the cabbage and most of the vinegar, then stir-fry over high heat for 1 minute (Figure 5). Next, add soy sauce, salt, and sugar, stirring to combine, then add the remaining vinegar. Finally, thicken with a cornstarch slurry, add minced garlic and a drizzle of sesame oil, then remove from the heat (Figure 6).
*After adding the cabbage to the wok, give it a quick toss and immediately add the vinegar to release its aromatic sour fragrance; the remaining vinegar added at the end compensates for the vinegar that has evaporated during cooking.
